Check a car
MOT statistics · 2023 tests

Volvo C30 MOT pass rate, common failures and mileage

In 2023, 65.3% of 24,617 MOT tests on the Volvo C30 ended in a pass, 11.2 points below the 76.5% average for all cars.

Pass rate
65.3%
All cars 76.5%
Tests
24,617
Initial MOTs in 2023
Mileage at 10
77k
Median; middle half 57k to 99k

Pass rate and mileage by age

Each row covers the Volvo C30 MOT tests at that age. Mileage shows the median and the middle half of odometer readings, from the 25th to the 75th percentile.

AgePass rateMileage
9362 tests
79.6%
71,000 · 49k to 91k
102,247 tests
72.4%
77,000 · 57k to 99k
113,139 tests
68.7%
89,000 · 67k to 113k
124,136 tests
66.6%
97,000 · 75k to 121k
136,229 tests
65.0%
101,000 · 75k to 123k
144,321 tests
61.6%
107,000 · 83k to 129k
152,894 tests
60.4%
107,000 · 83k to 131k
161,289 tests
61.9%
107,000 · 81k to 133k
C30 pass rateAll cars at that ageMiddle half of mileages

Most common MOT failures and advisories

How often each item came up, per 100 MOT tests on the Volvo C30. Advisories are things the tester noted that did not fail the car, often wear that will need attention soon. Follow an item to see what it means and how serious it is.

Failures

Side and tail lights
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
6.5in 100 tests
Coil springs
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
5.0in 100 tests
Suspension and drive joints
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
4.1in 100 tests
Number plate lights
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps
3.5in 100 tests
Tyres
A tyre cords visible or damaged
3.3in 100 tests
Tyre tread
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
3.0in 100 tests
Brake pads
A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
2.4in 100 tests
Headlights
A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED
2.3in 100 tests

Advisories and minor defects

Number plate lights
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources (minor defect)
12.5in 100 tests
Brake discs
Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured
9.4in 100 tests
Tyres
A tyre seriously damaged
7.8in 100 tests
Brake pads
A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
7.7in 100 tests
Coil springs
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
5.3in 100 tests
Engine oil leaks
Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users
5.0in 100 tests
Suspension and drive joints
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated (minor defect)
3.3in 100 tests
Indicators
Lamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements
3.3in 100 tests

What to check on a used C30

The parts that come up most often in Volvo C30 MOTs, and how to look at them on a viewing.

  1. Lights
    Walk round with every light on, and ask someone to press the brake pedal so you can see both brake lights.
  2. Brake discs and pads
    Ask when the discs and pads were last replaced, and look through the wheel for a raised lip on the edge of the disc.
  3. Tyres
    Check the tread across the full width of every tyre, including the inner edge, and look for cuts and bulges in the sidewalls.
  4. Coil springs
    Compare the gap between each tyre and its wheel arch. A corner sitting lower than the others can mean a broken spring.
  5. Oil leaks
    Look under the engine and gearbox, and at the ground where the car was parked, for fresh oil.

Check a specific C30

Fleet averages only go so far. Enter the registration to see that car's own MOT history, mileage record and current condition, free.

UK

Questions

What is the MOT pass rate of the Volvo C30?
In 2023, 65.3% of 24,617 initial MOT tests on the Volvo C30 ended in a pass, against 76.5% for all cars and light vans.
What fails most often on a Volvo C30 MOT?
The most common failures were side and tail lights (6.5 in 100 tests), coil springs (5.0 in 100 tests), suspension and drive joints (4.1 in 100 tests).
What is a normal mileage for a 10-year-old Volvo C30?
At 10 years old, the median Volvo C30 at its MOT had covered 77,000 miles, and the middle half had between 57,000 and 99,000 miles.
What do MOT testers most often advise on a Volvo C30?
The most common advisories were number plate lights (12.5 in 100 tests), brake discs (9.4 in 100 tests), tyres (7.8 in 100 tests).

Other Volvo models

Overall MOT pass rate in 2023. Compare all Volvo models or see every make.

V4076.5%XC6082.0%XC9075.7%V7070.4%XC4091.3%V5061.0%V6080.4%C3065.3%S4063.5%S6075.5%XC7073.7%V9086.1%C7064.5%S8075.7%S9088.8%

How these figures are made. We counted every initial MOT test (not retests) of cars and light vans in Great Britain in 2023 from the DVSA anonymised MOT dataset, 33,842,940 tests in all. Pass rate is the share of initial tests that ended in a pass, counting faults fixed during the test. Age is whole years from first registration to the test, so a car having its first MOT a few weeks early counts as 2.

Like-for-like pass rates average each model's pass rate at ages 3 to 10 with the same age mix for every model, so a model is not flattered by a young fleet or penalised by an old one. Models are grouped by the first word of the DVSA model name, and names that cover several models are left out.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. RegTail's analysis of the DVSA anonymised MOT dataset, 2023 tests.